2025 civics test · Question 9 · Principles of American Government
What founding document said the American colonies were free from Britain?
Official answer
- Declaration of Independence
What this means
The founding document that said the American colonies were free from Britain is the Declaration of Independence.
Adopted on July 4, 1776, the Declaration announced that the thirteen colonies were breaking away from Great Britain and forming a new, independent nation. Thomas Jefferson wrote most of it, and it explained to the world why the colonists believed they had the right to govern themselves.
This is different from the Constitution, which came later, in 1787, and set up the actual government. The Declaration is the birth announcement; the Constitution is the rulebook.
For this question, the answer is simply “the Declaration of Independence.”
Why this is on the test
Several questions circle around the Declaration of Independence, so it pays to connect it clearly to the moment the colonies broke away from Britain.
How this question is asked
On the 2025 civics test, the officer asks up to 20 of the 128 questions out loud and you pass by answering 12 correctly. You answer in your own words. There is no multiple choice and nothing to write down for the civics portion.
Related questions
More from Principles of American Government.
- 1 What is the form of government of the United States?
- 2 What is the supreme law of the land?
- 3 Name one thing the U.S. Constitution does.
- 4 The U.S. Constitution starts with the words "We the People." What does "We the People" mean?
- 5 How are changes made to the U.S. Constitution?
- 6 What does the Bill of Rights protect?